Cleaning dirt, grime, dust, and other types of foreign matter off articles is an age old problem. This problem is more challenging in cases where the foreign matter adheres tightly to the surface of the “dirty” article and is further complicated in cases where the surface of the article can be scratched in the cleaning process. For instance, cleaning scorched food from the surface of pots and pans can be a difficult proposition. Cleaning burnt food from cooking surfaces is also a commonly encountered problem. Cleaning grime and residual soap scum off fiberglass shower stalls is particularly challenging because cleansers that are abrasive enough to remove the grime and scum will typically scratch the fiberglass surface while milder cleaning products typically prove to be ineffective. Another, common problem is to clean bug residue off the front of motor vehicles. Again, cleaning products that are effective at removing the bug residue can damage the surface of the vehicle if extreme care is not implemented.
Cleaning a dirty wound on humans and animals can be a difficult problem. This is because it is beneficial to minimize further tissue damage to an open lesion. This is often difficult to accomplish in cases where dirt and other foreign matter is present in the open wound. For example, victims of motorcycle accidents typically have multiple cuts and abrasions that can contain various kinds of debris, dirt, small stones, and the like. It is, of course, important to clean foreign matter out of such lesions. However, injuries of this type are normally difficult to thoroughly clean without causing further tissue damage.
Over the years, better cleaning products that are more or less suitable for use in particular situations have been developed. However, cleaning stains, cooked-on grime, and dirt that has a strong affinity for the surface of an article continues to be a problem in the case of surfaces that are susceptible to being scratched or scuffed.